Monday, April 21, 2014

Quick thoughts: The Long Lost Dog of It and The Elvis Room

A large cast of characters will take the reader on a tour of the wine dark Greek underbelly. There is a sex show scene that wouldn't have been out of place in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie with Mr. Sophistication as the mc. There's a lot to like here. Characters that you will get to know, situations that take their time to come together, and an explosion of consequences when they do. Good stuff.

One of Stephen Graham Jones' greatest gifts is to be so enamored to the simplest ideas then weave a story from them. The launching pad for The Elvis Room is that hotels never fully book their rooms, that they always leave at least one room available. The secret, and dare I say real, reason is a frightening tale that goes in some unexpected places. Hell of a ghost story.

I'm still reading this but I'm enjoying the hell out of it so far. If greaser noir from some great short story writers sounds like a winner to you then this collection is only a buck. Thomas Pluck's story "Red Hot" is a stand out so far.